Sunday’s Week 6 game versus the Detroit Lions is a crucial point in the story arc of the 2017 New Orleans Saints. So much so that I believe Sunday will give the world perhaps the first true glimpse of who this team actually is and what they are truly capable of. Sure you can say that every season is different and that it is only Week 6 with plenty of divisional games remaining on the slate, but you must also remember that one game can in fact tell you a lot about the identity of a football team, no matter how much you get coaches you telling you otherwise. One game can define a team and one game can be all a team needs to turn into a revolutionary force or into a steaming pile of Rougarou poo. Week 6 versus the Lions is one of those kinds of games for the Saints.
As a team that has been all or nothing this season; losing games by double digits or winning games by double digits with no in between, I believe this is a sign that these Saints are already changed from those mediocre in-betweeners we’ve seen in the last handful of seasons. The losses in the first two weeks of the season were indicators that the Saints were maybe taking further steps backwards and that 7-9 would look like a triumph compared to what this team was in for. Then in the span of 2 NFL weeks, they collected a resounding win over a plus .500 rival and a complete shutout of a very bad team. The Saints put themselves right back in the middle of the pack where they have been. But while they sit in an oh too familiar position among the painfully average, these Saints have shown signs that lessons have actually been learned, old nasty habits are being kicked, and that the franchise may have finally found a collective trajectory that is heading towards the Saints being above average or, dare we dream, even great.
The play of rookies Ryan Ramcyzck and Marshon Lattimore in crucial positions on the field has been stellar in this young season, showing that Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis are indeed capable of putting together good drafts. Throw Marcus Williams and Alvin Kamara in there as well; the jury is not out on these guys anymore because if healthy, they have proven they can ball in this league.
With an influx of youth, the Saints have a pep in their step but also are playing sound physical football that has them on the verge of history: becoming the first team in NFL history to go the first five weeks of the season without committing a turnover. The proverbial jinx has been laid upon New Orleans simply because everyone following the league has acknowledged this; but superstition aside for a minute, doing that with heavily relied upon rookies in the backfield and on the offensive line is even more impressive. This Sunday the Saints face a team that is making a name for itself as a turnover causing menace. The Saints and this new trajectory towards success will be tested against the Lions on Sunday.
It is very understandable why you should not be too optimistic as well, because the 2014 Saints would have gone into this game with no turnovers on the year and Drew Brees would have an off day throwing 3 picks. The 2015 Saints would enter this game on a 2 game winning streak as well, but they would fall victim to bad habits in the secondary and make Matt Stafford look like the greatest quarterback who ever lived. The 2016 Saints would enter this game with a big opportunity to keep pace in the NFC South but they would get no pass rush on defense and no rhythm on offense and lose to a banged up opponent at home. This is that moment where the 2017 Saints have to separate themselves from the mediocrity. The bye week is over and they are back in that cozy spot called the “middle-of-the-road,” time to see what these Saints are made of on the first day of the rest of the 2017 season.
– Alan Michael